CNN iReport

By Sadaket Ali Malik

Independent Freelance columnist

"Owing to the dedication and shared discernment of the Hindu Islamic secular acquisition the wicked designs has been wiped and topical inhabitants pleased their tending towards the higher objectives".

Bhalessa is settled in rural most realty of Jammu and Kashmir. It has many sorts of roots to accomplish the desirable destination. Full of awe hopeful mountains and having a Brobdingnagian possibleness of business here, the narrowing agency snaked its artifact finished towering slopes, throwing up large clouds of dust. It passed by lowercase hamlets, comprising a pair of houses shapely around pagoda-shaped mosques and box-like temples with sloping roofs prefabricated of corrugated shackle Bhalessa is famous for tralatitious communal hormony.

Owing to the dedication and shared discernment of the Hindu Islamic secular acquisition the wicked designs has been wiped and topical inhabitants pleased their tending towards the higher objectives.

Bhalessa has a flush history. The Atlantic derivative its study from its grouping "Bhalay Loug" (The correct grouping with correct destiny)- The grouping employed and inhibiting without some semi political mileage.The digit communities move to springy unitedly in the aforementioned towns and villages in qualifying peace, beside the independent tendencies of wicked designs current here.Bhalessa is flooded of meadows popularly famous as Dhar same Kanthi, Soin Bhagar, Roharhi, Dagan, Bal Padri, etc. the Atlantic is mountainous, it has many sort of trekking routes which transfer finished places with unlikely enthralling scenic beauty.

The locate is an easy humble for trekkers and mountaineers, on their artefact to the Great chain By road, charabanc services from Doda enter Bhalessa. The close railhead is 350 km absentBhalessa is settled in rural most realty of Jammu and Kashmir. It has many sorts of roots to accomplish the desirable destination. Full of awe hopeful mountains and having a Brobdingnagian possibleness of business here, the narrowing agency snaked its artifact finished towering slopes, throwing up large clouds of dust. It passed by lowercase hamlets, comprising a pair of houses shapely around pagoda-shaped mosques and box-like temples with sloping roofs prefabricated of corrugated shackle Bhalessa is famous for tralatitious communal hormony.

Owing to the dedication and shared discernment of the Hindoo Islamic secular acquisition the wicked designs has been wiped and topical inhabitants pleased their tending towards the higher objectives. Bhalessa has a flush history. The Atlantic derivative its study from its grouping "Bhalay Loug" (The correct grouping with correct destiny)- The grouping employed and inhibiting without some semi political mileage.The digit communities move to springy unitedly in the aforementioned towns and villages in qualifying peace, beside the independent tendencies of wicked designs current here.Bhalessa is flooded of meadows popularly famous as Dhar same Kanthi, Soin Bhagar, Roharhi, Dagan, Bal Padri, etc. the Atlantic is mountainous, it has many sort of trekking routes which transfer finished places with unlikely enthralling scenic beauty.

The locate is a easy humble for trekkers and mountaineers, on their artefact to the Great chain By road, charabanc services from Doda enter Bhalessa. The close railhead is 119 km absent at Jammu. Tiny patches of cereal and mustard, same puff quilts, straddled the bounds of the course that hurried downbound from the snow-capped peaks in the indifference with an uncontrolled passion to merge into the Chenab beyond. Children played cricket on temporary pitches on patches of realty mitt fallow or lazed around on conelike haystacks.

Weather-beaten Bakkarwal men, with their hennaed beards and generally harm turbans, led flocks of comal elevation goats. Their children and womenfolk followed after them, dynamical slipper flooded with pots, pans and substance their ambulatory homes. The amend represent of serenity.

Bhalessa is digit of the most far and outback parts of Doda. Straddling the abut with Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, it has a Islamic majority, with a Hindoo eld of a lowercase more than a ordinal of the population.The story of Bhalessa and Bhaderwah dates backwards to 200 B.C. When the reverend religion person Nagsena was solicited to a communicating by power Mender in his hall at Sakla.Kishtwar.

In the discussions Nagsena replied every the questions of the power who then embraced organisation and became power Milinda. Nagsena transcribed the communicating in "Millinda Panha" a Prakrit Treatise on the basic principles of religion philosophy.The Islamic organisation entered the location of Bhalessa as a sacred and moralistic force, when Alhaj Ab. Gani sadiqi solicited the grouping and familiarised them of the faith. The demesne of Bhaderwah Bhalessa was diffuse into 15 tharas or administrative units.

The amount Atlantic of Bhaderwah Jagir (including Bhalessa etc) was 533 sq.miles which after consolidation with Udhampur regularise in 1931 was low to 213 sq.miles only. The early name of the locate is derived from Rajatarangni around (1112-28 A.D.)On the recommendations of Private Domain Assimilation Committee, the position of Bhadarwah ended in 1930 A.D. Consequently Bhadarwah became a tehsil of Udhampur District in 1931.

After organisation of District Headquarter Doda, Bhadarwah was prefabricated a tehsil of this District including Bhalessa as a Niabet. Consequent upon organization of District and Tehsils, Naibat Thathri and Niabat Bhalessa of Bhadarwah Tehsil also became flooded fledgeling Tehsils in 1981. Tehsil Thathri and Tehsil Gandoh were engraved discover of Sub- Division Bhaderwah. District Doda had digit Sub-District Ramban, digit Sub-Divisions videlicet Kishtwar and Bhaderwah.

While Ramban and Kishtwar hit been upgraded as Districts, Tehsil Bhalessa has been upgraded as Sub– Division. This artefact there again rest digit Sub-Divisions i.e. Bhaderwah and Gandoh with threesome Tehsils videlicet Bhaderwah, Gandoh and Thathri in District Doda. As such, in some housing digit Sub-Division is to hit digit Tehsils patch the added module rest Sub-Division for digit Tehsil. It haw be in locate to name that the indifference from Thathri to Gandoh is exclusive 30 Kms whereas indifference from Thathri to Bhaderwah is around 60 Kms. Moreover, digit has to prototypal accomplished Khillani or Pul – Doda and then verifies added instrumentation for feat to Bhaderwah, feat difficulty to the public.

The motorable agency from Thathri to Gandoh is in the impact of up rank which when completed, module attain agency travelling from Thathri to Gandoh shorter and more favourable as compared to travelling to Bhaderwah. Thus, on the foundation of closeness and administrative lavatory Tehsil Thathri is in fireman closeness to Gandoh than Bhaderwah and it module be in the large interests of the open of Tehsil Thathri that it is prefabricated conception of newborn Sub-Division Gandoh.

Another obligation conventional by the Committee during its meet to the Atlantic pertains to adhesion of squad villages of Patwar Halqas Patnazi and Jawalapur commonly famous as Bunjawa with Tehsil Thathri after their indifference from Tehsil Kishtwar on the connector of closeness of the Atlantic and lavatory of the people. Several projects has been condemned by the polity same Kahara Jai Road authorised with assets of Rs. 20.78 crore low the Central Road Fund (CRF) Scheme for cerebration of 16 km daylong community agency (3.75 m wide) with Retaining surround from Kahara Jai Road up to Village Jaurn. This agency module enter community Kahara in Bhalessa Atlantic with Jai in Bhaderwah expiration finished the villages of Gugara, Malanu, Bithola, Bagdair, Halaran, Jooda and Shamdalian before incoming the picturesque meadows of Jai in Bhaderwah thusly inaugural up avenues of utilization for grouping of every these villages. Bhalessa had come into existence in the year 1948 and its Headquarter is located at a distance of 241 Kmts from the Jammu winter capital and 282 kmts. from the Srinagar, the summer capital of the state. The area is located between 32-52 and 41-97 degree longitude.

The altitude of the area varies from 3200 to 15000 ft. from the sea level. The area is surrounded by Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

The form of the land is rugged and mountainous surrounded by the sprawling mountains of Himalayas from north to west. These are named as great Himalayas. Besides there are other lofty ridges and peaks. The nullahas like historical Kalgoni streem merge into river Chenab at Thathri. Nullahs called "Kalguni" is Pavitur in the sense that it is surrounded by historical Kalgoni Mandir at the corner of village Kilhotran.

Streems/ Nullahs:-

The main river in Bhalessa is Kalgoni straching from "Kansozoo" that merge into the chenab after. Besides this there are some other small Streems/ Nullahs such as Beer Sow with its origin from Ludoo Kansar with enormous hight, Kanchu Chow streem (local popular name of hindus and muslims) has its origin near Goha Kahagugasar. These rivers flow through gorges and are mainly exploited for generation of Hydel Power. Of late Bhalessa is rich in natural resources if exploited may contribute for the states economy but who will bell the cat?

Climate and Rainfall

The climate is almost dry. The rainfall is scanty. Because of this reason the area is declared as Drought Prone Area by the Ministry of Rural Development Govt of India. The temperature remains snow bound for five-six months of the year. Summer is generally without rain and precipitation often occurs during the winter season.

Soils and Forest Wealth:

The soil in Bhalessa is generally loose and Gruti and in some places Sandy with very low moisture. The incidence of soil erosion is very high and roads blockage is frequent during the rainy season. The places are notorious for fall of slides during every rainy season and cause inconvenience to all. The Soil conservation Department is surveying the area but no concrete steps has been put in place by the concerned officers to aware the people about the soil conservation schemes. The role of NGOs is strongly laudable in this direction. I put in place the efforts of a veteran environmentalist of the area, M Ayoub Zargar running NGO for contributing their bit owing to which many wastelands became green. Bhalessa is rich in coniferous forest wealth.

According to the report of DFO Bhaderwah, the total area covered under forest is sq. km. The forest provides timber of important varieties viz, Deodar, Fir, Kail, Chir, etc.These also yield products like dhoop, resin, guchian and other products. For rehabilitation of degraded forests and increase the forest area by plantation in the area taken up in a big way of the forest Department. The local NGO Educational Environmental Social Sports and Cultural Society have contributed a lot in this field.

There might be some worlds oldest DEODARs in Jitota Zone of Bhalessa. The precious stones in the area are also expected to be found in the Dudwar area in abundance.

Agriculture:-

Cropping Pattern:-

The main crops of the district are Maize, rice, wheat and Barely.

Electricity:

Bhalessa has immense potential for development of Hydel power. At Present power receiving station at Tawai changa commissioned recently by the untried efforts and mass leadership of the then Minister for Power Mohd. Sharief Niaz. This is the only power receiving station in the area which supplies power to nearby villages. Efforts are being made to remodel it for generation of additional power. However the major schemes are kept in pipeline by the perspective leader in the area to generate more electricity from the area.

Transport and Communication:-

The topography of Bhalessa is hilly and mountainous. There is

Lack of transport communication as compared to other areas of the erstwhile Doda District. The landline communication is defunct.

Banking facilities:

Only two bank branches are functioning in the area one at Tehsil headquarter and another is at its initial stage at Changa. There is a scarcity of ATM and Computerized/core banking facility. The people especially elderly man and women suffer a lot to stand in queue.

Police Administration:

Police station Gandoh Bhalessa was established to provide services to the public. There seemed healthy Public-Police relations. Organisation of freeships and student activities also revealed from the Police.

POPULATION: 58,245 as per 2001 census.

Development Sanctity.

Bhalessa is the most backward which is evident from the low literacy rate, dilapidated road conditions, poor road net work, low per capita income

Non-existence of industries, lack adequate agricultural inputs.

However, in order to accelerate the development and break the shackles of the backwardness concerted efforts are being made by the Govt. through the implementation of plans and various centrally sponsored schemes like SGRY, SGSY, TSP and SCP an NERGS, DPAP.

Emphasis is being laid to improve and extend the roads, water supply, rural electrification, consolidation and extension of educational institutions etc. The centrally sponsored schemes are playing a significant role in the development for giving impetus to the development activities in the area.

The major problem or bottleneck is the lack of awareness among the people. Bhalessa NGOs are acting as a catalyst here too as to what are the schemes and programmes of the government at different levels.

Tourism needs fleeting attention

There is enough potential to hold back the tourist in Bhalessa and areas around for at least a fortnight. Imagine how much good it could do to the local economy. Places of pilgrimage if promoted will help bringing the tourist to these areas even while the infrastructure is being developed. Of course The Tourism Development Authority required have to be established.

Bhalessa presents a beautiful picturesque as well as attractive fields on way to Padri Top which could be promoted as a health resort as well as a picnic spot. This is a conncetion line of Bhalessa and Bhaderwah. An everlasting Glacier, Bal Padri is just 15 Km from Padri Top/ Dhaar/ Khanni Top on foot/ horse back from Bhaderwah side. It is on huge heights and one could find large snow field here even in the month of June. Enough scope exists for Gandola rope ways. Bhadherwah to Kansar could be a good Gandola venture with Khanni Top, Padri Dhaar , Nagni MataTemple and Jaai Valley are lying around Bhalessa.